My bet is 84. Like moonshadow people look up to her. They see a strong person standing in front of them when they are a normal person. They built them up as a powerful figure when in fact she is a normal person… with superpowers.

He thinks it’s him, but it’s likely Conjuror. We already know 84 is up-front about herself all the time, and at least Firedrake admits to himself and a select few that he doesn’t do much besides look cool. We don’t know a lot about Conjuror, though.

The group probably only gets one chance at each question. Firedrake blew this one. The next question will be something new – and the Gate made it clear that there would be multiple questions when it answered Firedrake originally. “That was not one of the questions.” Questions. Plural. They only have to get one right, but that doesn’t mean they can just try the same one over and over again.

I would agree. 84 went through an entire process of identifying herself and generating an image that presents herself as she is as clearly as possible. Whether you think she’s effective at it or not, she does not live trying to hide her true self any more than anybody else who goes by an assumed name (which Firedrake and Conjuror both do as well).

Conjuror we know nothing about, but he affects pretense and absolute competence with the power to accurately analyze and systematize his environment. This ability of magical analysis would naturally make him aware of the myriad variables that could cause him failure. This makes it likely he affects absolute competence to conceal his own uncertainty.

Firedrake, meanwhile, might be flip and grandstanding, but he does it as a meaningful contribution to his team. He provides a valuable (if obnoxious) contribution through his grandstanding, and chances are he does honestly enjoy being a smart ass much of the time (even if he has a hard time stopping before he crosses a line). He is, in fact, a smart ass grandstander and most people will recognize it.

So, yes, I think Firedrake has confused the concepts of “public face” and “public mask.”

I agree with others:
While Firedrake is definetly having having a false/hidden self, he is not really hiding it. I kinda asumed he was not an ass, just a loudmouth. So he was not really hiding it.
84 has childish innocence on her side.

Interesting gate. This is one that assumes the questers have learned a thing or two about each other during the quest. If they haven’t, they’re going to have a big problem with the gate. Methinks Firedrake and Conjuror will each get a question wrong, then 84 will have to answer a question about what she’s learned.

The answer is Veles, the sixth member of the team who’s been following them through all of this and letting them handle the challenges for him, as revealed by the previous wizard. He’s presenting himself as a Mr. Mxyzptlk analogue when he’s actually far more clever, canny, and power driven than any mere trickster.

84 is living the greatest lie. She inside doesn’t feel worth of her own uniform. the others are guilty of making themselves out to be bigger than they are. This is a common self-lie. Julie has been deluding herself that she isn’t smart, resourceful, or leadership material. This self-lie is uncommon, therefore greater.

I doubt it. Self doubt is a really common feeling. It might not get the same flack as arrogance or pride, but there are many people who suffer from it. And feeling unready for leadership is a feeling so common that many people consider it a prerequisite for leadership.

No. 84 is not “hiding a secret shame”. She may not be eager to take on adult responsibility and the burden of becoming wise beyond her years but she isn’t ashamed of the things she’s reluctant to admit to herself.

I suspect that it will be Conjuror. If he’s a Dr. Fate expy, he’s probably two minds (occasionally) in one body, making him both the false self, and the sixth member of their party, as suggested previously.

Being fair to Firedrake, he totally aced it with his first answer. The Gate is cheating by pretending “Are you ready to begin?” wasn’t one of the questions. You can’t spell out the rules like that and then ask a question and claim it didn’t count. Stupid Gate.

Only if this is the only question it ever asks AND every person that answers chooses themselves.

By the rules, any one has to answer a single question correctly, but it didn’t say it would ask only a single question, or that more than one person can answer each one that it asks. In all probability, the group only gets one shot at each question, and Firedrake just blew the first one. I doubt Conjuror can now say “nope, it’s me” and get a pass. He and 84 and the mystery 6th will have something new to deal with.

This was an interesting opening choice, since the correct answer can only be given by someone both perceptive and introspective enough to know which teammate it might be – and if they’re that person, they’re the one who wants to fess up the least. That brain-peeping twit Neuronet would have made this a breeze, but if he was still around the question would have been different. Of course, blind luck could work on it too, unless the Gate demands you show your work. 🙂

Already obvious Firedrake is wrong about himself being the most guilty of having a False Self and will be kicked out. Conjuror is most likely to be a kid i.e. Zodon: Magical Version &/or a teenager with Geek Physiques.

Agreed. There will be multiple questions, and I doubt the group will be allowed more than one chance at any of them. Note the Gate’s phrasing in response to Firedrake: “That was not one of the questions.” Questions. Plural.

She’s basically been along for the ride ever since Forak started this whole FISS-team mess, she’s in WAY over her head, and she’s groping desperately for some way not to bring everything crashing down around them.

BUT

She’s also guilty of self-sabotage. Remember Las Vegas? When she can get out of her own way, she can do amazing things — but she’s so sure that she’s “just a little kid” that she hesitates, holds back, and otherwise waits for someone else to handle things — never letting herself realize that SHE can handle things perfectly well!

Definitely Conjurer, what we’ve seen of Firedrake (including his response) and 84 neither is displaying anything where one would think that they are presenting a false self to hide their true self and their secret shame. Plus in Firedrake’s case no one presenting a false self to hide behind like asked would so eagerly and openly confess it.

It very well could be Julie, since she’s basically been covering for Atlas the whole time. But the only way she can find out about this is if the others leave, as she doesn’t think she’s been deceptive.

But since he said “questions,” I think Firedrake will be kicked out. If Conjurer has something big covered up, we’ll find out about it. If not, it will just be left hanging for now.

Next page:
Gate guardian: You have answered honestly and humbly, but incorrectly. Therefore, your quest is not at an end, but you may not proceed.
Conjurer: So then it is the kid you are talking about. She is the one with all the secrets.
A piece of parchment can be seen fluttering to the ground.
Gate guardian: Next question. What do you intend to do with what is beyond this gate?
84: There’s supposed to be this egg in the middle and we are supposed to give it to the guy who put us in here.
Gate guardian: You have answered honestly, but your intention is not reasonable. I can not let you pass.
Firedrake: So what should we do with it?

That was probably the only chance they’ll get to answer that question, so debating the right answer is futile unless Firedrake is somehow correct.

More interesting is whether the Conjurer is going to play this by the rules or not. He might be confident enough in his own abilities to try to just break the Gate by brute magical force or some secret knowledge rather than following the script. If so, he may be letting the others eliminate themselves to buy time to prep his spells, or simply because he’s not who he appears to be.

I think that Julie is going to give the correct answer, which is is actually going to be “I don’t know”. The reason is twofold:

1) Because the very nature of a secret self is that it is hidden from others, it is impossible to know what the others’ secrets are or how they relate to your own.

2) Julie doesn’t truly believe in herself – she genuinely thinks there’s nothing interesting or special about her. This is blatantly untrue – she has helped others several times in ways that nobody else available could have done. Therefore, her deception is one of the self – she does not know the answer, because she cannot know the answer, and so her not knowing is the answer.

Just had a thought… maybe the key word in the question is ‘guilty’. There can be a lot of reasons to present a false self (ex: Trying to ‘fake it till you make it’), but who’s reasons are the guiltiest?